A year in review: Dong Nai turns challenges into development motivation

2025 went down in Dong Nai’s development history as a pivotal year with many challenges and pressures. With the merger between Dong Nai and Binh Phuoc, the new Dong Nai province has expanded its space to over 12,700 km2, with a population size of more than 4.4 million people. The rearrangement of administrative units posed an urgent requirement to consolidate the organizational apparatus, stabilize the grassroots system, and organize Party Congresses at all levels, while simultaneously setting higher requirements for socio-economic growth, ensuring social welfare, and national defense and security.

Party and State leaders take photos with the Dong Nai Provincial Delegation attending the 14th National Party Congress

What stood out about Dong Nai over the past year was not only the figures proving the results but the manner and methods chosen to solve the problems encountered. The Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee has strongly shifted its leadership method towards clear tasks, clear responsibilities, and clear deadlines associated with specific responsibilities for urging and inspection; in which, emphasizing the individual role and responsibility of each Party Committee member in performing assigned duties and tasks. With the central role of the Provincial Party Committee Secretary, the rhythm of leadership and administration was shaped in the spirit of strengthening discipline, administrative rigor, going directly to performing duties, clearly defining timelines and specific work results; limiting general statements and formalistic work; prioritizing the removal of bottlenecks and promoting the implementation down to the grassroots level.

Along with innovating methods was the determination to handle difficult and stagnant matters. Long-standing bottlenecks such as site clearance, public investment disbursement, handling projects behind schedule, and the inter-connected coordination of administrative procedures were brought up for discussion with a spirit of frankness, linked to personal responsibility. Therefore, the leadership and administration of the province have shifted to “doing things thoroughly”, from a mindset of avoiding confrontation to clarifying the responsibility of each organization and individual. Besides, leadership and management thinking have been shifted to a long-term vision and were early disseminated to officials and Party members: from the development space planning after the merger, the orientation for the Long Thanh Airport City, the Provincial Administrative - Political Center, to the goal of striving to basically meet the criteria of a centrally-run city by 2030. Large goals were not just slogans, but were attached to a system of specific tasks, roadmaps, and governance mechanisms.

Head of the Party Central Committee’s Organization Commission Le Minh Hưng (right) hands over the decision of the Politburo on the transfer and designation of Comrade Vu Hong Van to hold the position of Secretary of the Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee. Photo: Huy Anh

With strong innovations in method, determination, and vision, 2025 is recorded as a year where Dong Nai achieved outstanding results. Its GRDP increased by 9.63%, exceeding the target assigned by the Government, placing Dong Nai at the top of the Southeast region and ranking 7th in the country, the highest level for the province in many years. The industrial production index increased by over 15%, showing that the industry-construction sector not only recovered but regained strong growth momentum. State budget revenue reached over 101 trillion VND, exceeding the 100 trillion VND mark for the first time, equal to 144% of the estimate assigned by the Central Government and 136% of the Provincial People's Council estimate, opening up important opportunities for development investment and ensuring social welfare, national defense, and security. Export turnover is estimated at about 34.6 billion USD, up more than 16%; with a trade surplus of about 10.7 billion USD, continuing to affirm Dong Nai's role in the group of leading localities nationwide in import – export performances. The fields of education, health, and labor-employment were not only maintained but also received investment for development.

Comrade Vu Hong Van, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, exchanges views with delegates at the 14th National Party Congress. Photo: Cong Nghia

Comrade Vu Hong Van, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, and delegates celebrate the success of the 14th National Party Congress. Photo: Cong Nghia

The province effectively implemented social welfare work with a total sum of more than 900 billion VND, in which, over 134 billion VND was used to support 19 provinces and cities damaged by natural disasters; 1,182 houses were built or repaired in the province with a value of more than 93 billion VND as part of its implementation of the movement "Joining hands to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses", and support worth 48 billion VND was provided to 3 other provinces to implement this movement, deeply demonstrating the national tradition of "the intact leaf covers the tattered ones." The activities of grassroots authorities were not interrupted; public services were maintained and improved in many places thanks to promoting the application of information technology and digital transformation. When administrative discipline was emphasized and administrative procedures were reviewed and simplified in a substantive direction, the positive impact was shown not only in the progress of processing files but also in the stability of people's lives in a year with many changes in organization and boundaries.

Regarding Party building work, 2025 marked results that both ensured progress and maintained quality requirements. The province did a good job in political, ideological work and timely organized, and allocated the cadre contingent to meet the requirements of tasks after the merger and adjustment of administrative boundaries; completing Party Congresses at all levels under the province 15 days earlier than the general progress of the whole country, ensuring requirements for quality, correct principles, promoting democracy, maintaining internal unity, and successfully organizing the First Dong Nai Provincial Party Congress with many important policy decisions. This opened up a new stage of development, creating a foundation for the Party building work not only to meet its targets but also to deepen in substance over the last year.

Those figures are even more meaningful when placed in the context of the province having to handle a very large volume of organizational work due to the merger of boundaries and arrangement of the apparatus. The merger and reduction of focal points did not slow down the growth engine, affect social welfare, or create major disturbances to the investment environment, thereby showing the ability to maintain the governance rhythm and stabilize production and business during a volatile period.

Notably, at the 14th National Congress of the Party, for the first time, Dong Nai has its Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee elected to the Party Central Committee. This is a recognition on a national scale of the efforts and potential of the province, while also being an affirmation of the contributions and the leading, guiding role of individuals toward the province's development process in the coming time.

Looking back on its one-year journey, Dong Nai has passed through a challenging period with a scientific and effective approach: correctly identifying difficulties, adjusting leadership methods, remaining steadfast in long-term goals, and letting results speak for the efforts of the entire system. In that process, the specific method, high determination, and long-term vision of the Secretary of Provincial Party Committee, along with the consensus and solidarity of the whole Provincial Party Executive Committee and the entire Party Organization, are the important factors helping the province navigate the pivotal year with greater confidence; creating trust, strong expectations, and arousing the aspiration for contribution among officials, Party members, people from all walks of life, and the business community for the bright future of Dong Nai in the following years.

By Xuan Luc - Translated by Diec Quyen, Thu Ha